Odds and Ends
by Ognawk Jones
Summary: A collection of short Daria fics that were created for various threads on the PPMB, such as Iron Chefs, Crossovers and so on.
1. If I Can't Have You

_DISCLAIMER: Daria and associated characters are owned by MTV. This is for entertainment purposes only and no money or other goods have been exchanged._

_This story was written for the '1,001 Deaths of Tom Sloane – Part II' thread on the PPMB. The character of Cassidy Hemming was created by Ognawk and first appeared in the fic "The Great and The Good"_

* * *

**IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU...**

Cassidy entered the park and made her way towards the bench by the pond, where she knew Tom was meeting someone. She braced herself for the worst and, as she looked ahead, she saw it. Jane was there, and she was kissing Tom. _Her_ Tom. In a rage, she stormed over to them.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" she shouted, causing Tom and Jane to quickly separate.

"Cassidy! What are you doing here?" Tom asked in surprise.

"I'll ask you again. What the hell is going on here?"

"I'm sorry, Cassidy. There's no way to tell you this, but... I love Jane."

Cassidy's face twitched, and she slowly approached Tom, getting in between him and Jane. "What did you just say?"

"I.. said I love Jane."

Cassidy closed her eyes tightly. "What did you say?"

"Are you deaf or something?" Jane asked, "He said he loves me."

Cassidy scowled and turned to face Jane. "Did I ask for your opinion, you harlot? Get the hell out of here, before I do something I'm going to regret."

"I'm not going..."

"Jane," Tom said, interrupting Jane and causing her to look straight at him, "Just go. I'll take care of this and I'll see you later."

Jane looked uneasy at Tom's suggestion, but he nodded to her and she took that as her cue to leave. Tom then turned his attention to Cassidy, who put an arm around the back of his neck and ruffled his hair with her other hand.

"You love her?"

"I'm sorry, Cassidy. I can't help how I feel."

Cassidy closed her eyes tightly and pressed her forehead against Tom's, a sad expression on her face. "But what about _me_? I love you, Thomas."

"I do care about you, Cassidy, but I love Jane. I can't help it."

"But I love you Tom," Cassidy replied, her voice wavering slightly, "So tell me, why must you hurt me so?"

"I didn't mean..."

"Why do you hurt me so, Tom?" Cassidy said in a slightly menacing tone.

Tom had no answer. He didn't get time to answer, because Cassidy immediately kneed him in the crotch, and he dropped to his own knees in pain.

"You see Tom, you hurt me badly," Cassidy said, a cold, emotionless look in her eyes as she stepped back slightly, "And now I have to hurt _you!_"

Cassidy grabbed Tom by the hair and kicked him in the head several times. She then rammed his head into the nearby bench. Tom was extremely groggy by now, and suddenly scared by Cassidy's anger and surprised by her strength as she dragged him in the direction of the pond.

"If I can't have you, then no-one will," she said as she got him to the edge of the pond and pushed his head under the water, holding it there for a moment before pulling it back up.

"Cass... Cassidy," he tried to say, choking on the water, "I'm sorry, please..."

"I'm afraid it's much too late for that now, Thomas," Cassidy said as she pushed his head back under the water again.

Tom flailed his arms around, desperately trying to hit Cassidy and try to break free, but it was no use. His struggling started to weaken until it eventually stopped completely. She then pulled his head out of the water and laid his limp body out next to the pond. She kneeled by his side and stroked his wet hair, her hands shaking and tears forming in her eyes.

"We could have been so good together Tom," she said, as she leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, "It's a shame you couldn't see that."

With that, Cassidy stood up, and looked down at her former boyfriend one last time before quickly walking away.


	2. Well, Since You Asked

_DISCLAIMER: Daria, Beavis and Butt-Head and associated characters are owned by MTV. This is for entertainment purposes only and no money or other goods have been exchanged for this._

_This story was written for the '1,001 Deaths of Tom Sloane – Part II' thread on the PPMB, and was inspired by LongSnakeMoan's fic "Of All The People That Won't Be Missed"_

* * *

**WELL, SINCE YOU ASKED**

As Jane and Tom sat on the swings, Jane thought about the crazy events of the last week. It had been a week ago that Daria had told Jane that she kissed Tom. Jane's immediate thought had been to run and confront the bastard, but along the way, something happened. Or rather, some_one_ happened. Someone who had made Jane feel happier in one week than Tom had ever made her feel in the last year. She knew before she came here that her relationship with Tom was going nowhere. But today, she would end it definitively.

"Look, just... all that time, were you going out with me just to get to Daria?" she asked.

"Are you crazy?" he replied.

"Well, since you asked..."

Jane tilted her head to the side slightly and grinned. Tom noticed a glint in her eye he'd never seen before. In the next instant, before he had a chance to even react, Jane had reached into her jacket, pulled out a gun and shot him right in the head, killing him instantly. Jane got up from the swing and watched her ex-boyfriend's body slump to the ground.

"Yes, I am crazy. But not about you Tom," Jane said, as she laughed, put the gun away and jogged down the side entrance to the Sloane house.

Once she got to the driveway, she looked around before noticing what she was seeking. She jogged down to the red, slightly battered car at the end of the road, and got in the passenger door. She immediately looked at the rugged, muscular man with long blonde hair and sunglasses sat in the driver's seat.

"Hey, Todd."

"Hey, baby," Todd replied, "You take care of your business?"

"Oh yeah," Jane said, taking her gun out of her jacket again and gently stroking the barrel, "Me and him are finished. Permanently."

"Good," Todd said, as he reached over and gave Jane a long kiss, "Smug, rich piece of **** didn't deserve a goddess like you anyway."

Jane smirked. "Let's get out of here, baby. We got some more business to attend to."


	3. The Kiss Of Death

_**AUTHORS NOTES:**__ This is another contribution to the '1,001 Deaths of Tom Sloane – Part II' thread on the PPMB. This one was inspired by a suggestion from 917brat._

_**DISCLAIMER:**__ Daria and all associated characters are owned by MTV. This is for entertainment purposes only. No money or other goods have changed hands._

* * *

**THE KISS OF DEATH**

Tom and Daria were sat in his car, talking about Jane and their so called "situation".

"I'm not interested in you, and I'd be stabbing my friend in the back if I even considered it," Daria said, looking away from Tom.

"Exactly. And what kind of a jerk would that make me?" Tom replied.

"Exactly."

"Alright then."

"OK."

Suddenly, Tom reached over and kissed Daria, taking her completely by surprise.

"Dammit! Dammit dammit dammit!" she said as he pulled away.

"I liked it too," Tom replied, rubbing his hair.

Suddenly, something flipped in Daria's mind. Tom was expecting her lips to meet his again. Much to his shock, and much too quickly for him to defend himself, his lips instead met with Daria's fist as she started punching him in the face hard, and repeatedly.

"NO!" she screamed as she hammered his face, "I WON'T BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF AGAIN! LET ME GO!"

Meanwhile Jane, who had decided to go out for a run, noticed Tom's car and saw Daria punching Tom and quickly jogged over to them.

"Daria! Stop it! Stop it!" she shouted as she pulled her angry friend out of the car. As Daria hit the sidewalk, she suddenly started breathing deeply and had a look like she'd suddenly woken up.

"Oh God. Where am I?" she said, shaking her head as she noticed Jane stood over her.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Daria?" she asked, "Did you think I'd be happier with you punching Tom in the face instead of making out with him?"

"Don't know what happened," Daria said as she kept breathing heavily, "Red mist, Highland, horrible flashbacks, guys jumping me."

Jane stared at her friend, confused. Then a realisation hit her as she spun around to the car. "TOM!"

Tom was slumped in the driver seat in his car. He wasn't moving and his face was a mess of crimson. Jane got into the car and patted his face.

"Tom? Wake up Tom!" Jane said. She grabbed his wrist and immediately knew something was very wrong. "Oh my God! Daria, he's dead!"


	4. The Great And The Good: Not Gonna Look

**Authors Note**: This is a very short side fic to 'The Great And The Good'. Ashley is Daria's boyfriend in that fic.

_DISCLAIMER: Daria and all associated characters are owned by MTV. This is for entertainment purposes only. No money or other goods have been exchanged._**  
**

* * *

**THE GREAT AND THE GOOD: NOT GONNA LOOK  
By Ognawk**

Quinn returned home after her date to find the ground floor of the house empty and dark. _Mom and Dad still aren't home yet_, she thought as she made her way upstairs. About halfway up, she saw Ashley coming down the stairs. He was wearing socks and a t-shirt that was half tucked into his boxer shorts, and his hair was messy. He was carrying two ice cream dishes.

"Hey, Quinn!" he said with a big smile on his face, "Excuse me, I need to put these away."

Quinn stood still for a moment as he went past her. As she got to the top of the stairs, she noticed Daria's bedroom door open slightly.

"Not gonna look, not gonna look, not gonna look," she muttered as she walked past.

"Hey Quinn," Daria said from her room, "Could you help me out with something?"

Quinn sighed. "God, Daria, I just got home."

"I'm having trouble fastening my bra up. Can you get it for me?"

Quinn's eyes widened. "Ewwwwww! No way!"

Quinn quickly ran to her room and closed the door as Ashley came back up the stairs. He walked into Daria's room and closed the door as she was sat there at her computer, fully clothed. The two of them looked at each other and, unable to keep straight faces, cracked up with laughter.


	5. Love Kills

_**AUTHORS NOTES: **This was written for the '1,001 Deaths of Tom Sloane - Part II' thread on the PPMB. Ashley and Cassidy are my own created characters and originally appeared in 'The Great And The Good'_

_Daria and all associated characters owned by MTV. This is for entertainment purposes only. No money or other goods have been exchanged for this._

* * *

**LOVE KILLS**

Cassidy and Tom were stood in a secluded area of Fielding, well out of the way of the other students.

"Look, Cassidy, I've got problems with Jane. I'm not interested in dating you right now," Tom said.

"Well, if Jane cheated on you, I'd say the timing was perfect," Cassidy said with a smile.

Just then, Ashley ran up to where they were, brandishing a dictaphone.

"Ashley, what are you doing here?" Tom asked.

"I know I said I'd keep it between us, but I can't anymore," he said, turning to face Cassidy, "Cassidy, I know you plotted to have me and Jane kiss so you could get with Tom. The tape in here proves it."

Cassidy raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Very clever. Who told you, then? Allison?"

"Yeah, she confessed everything, and I recorded the whole thing without her knowing."

Much to Tom's surprise, a big smirk spread across Cassidy's face. "I never knew you were so... cunning. I like that," she said, as she stroked a finger up Ashley's chest.

Tom's surprise turned to shock as he noticed Ashley grinning. "It was quite a scheme you came up with. You're a bit of a bad girl. I think I like that."

Cassidy smiled at him and pulled him close. "Well, I think you'll like this."

Tom watched in horror as the two of them started passionately making out right in front of him.

"What the hell are you two doing? Ashley, what about Daria? Come on man!"

Neither of them paid attention to him, they were too lost in each other. Tom desperately tried to pull them apart.

"Stop it! This is wrong. You two don't like each other. You shouldn't be doing this!"

Eventually, the two of them came up for air, but their eyes were still locked on each other. Ashley frowned as Tom watched on.

"This boy doesn't know when to shut up, does he?" Ashley said.

"No. He really doesn't," Cassidy replied.

"Well, I'd better be off. Later Tom, Cassie," Ashley said as he jogged off.

Tom looked directly at Cassidy as she watched Ashley leave, a smile on her face as she wiped her finger against her lips.

"I thought I knew him. I'm beginning to think him kissing Jane wasn't an accident. Still, I suppose after that, I shouldn't be worried about you pestering me for dates anymore," Tom said.

Cassidy looked at Tom and frowned. "No, you shouldn't be worried about me. But you should be worried about _him_."

Unbeknownst to Tom, Ashley had crept up on him from behind and grabbed him by the head.

"It's a shame you turned down a girl like Cassidy, Tom, she's a _real_ good kisser. But you have to pay for disrespecting her like that."

Before Tom could speak again, Ashley snapped his neck, and then let go of him as his body crumpled to the ground. Ashley then stepped over Tom and embraced Cassidy as she smiled.

"Now, where were we?" she said as they engaged in another liplock.


	6. Out With The Old

_Disclaimer: Daria and associated characters are owned by MTV. This is for entertainment purposes only and no money or other goods have changed hands._

* * *

**OUT WITH THE OLD**

Sandi Griffin steeled herself as she made her way to the locker area after another day in Lawndale High. She was dressed in pretty simple attire. Blue jeans, and a black t-shirt that was slightly too big. Her long brown hair was tidy, but she didn't make the effort she usually did. There wasn't much point. Not with _them_ around.

As she made her way to the lockers, she saw who she was looking for. That weird art chick in the year above her, Jane. She walked up to Jane as she was putting her books back in her locker.

"Like, um, Jane?"

Jane looked at the disheveled looking figure before her. Hardly the figure of regality she used to be. "If it isn't the former fashion Queen of Lawndale High. What do you want?"

"Um, I kind of wanted some advice. Like, how do you cope with not talking to anyone?"

Jane raised an eyebrow as she closed her locker. "Clearly not very well, if I'm talking to you."

"But, I mean, how do you cope with not being popular?"

"Well, I choose only to associate with people I find interesting. I don't find most of the people here interesting, so I don't talk to them."

Before Sandi could reply, she saw them walking down the hall. The current members of the Fashion Club. _Her_ club that she'd founded and now been evicted from. At the back, the two she founded the club with, Co-ordination Officer Tiffany Blum-Deckler and Secretary Stacy Rowe. Traitors, as far as Sandi was concerned. Then, in front, there were the newcomers. The ones who kicked her out and declared themselves co-presidents of the club. First, Quinn Morgendorffer, dressed in jeans and a pink baby tee with a smily face and a halo on it, her long red hair bouncing as she walked. Then, the other co-president, Quinn's older sister Daria Morgendorffer. She was dressed in a yellow tank top with black denim jacket and matching jeans. She had straight, long auburn hair and stylish oval rimmed glasses that gave her a look of elegance.

Quinn shot Sandi a disapproving look as the four of them walked by. "Ugh, what is she wearing?"

Daria looked at her sister and smirked. "You two seriously thought someone like _that_ would be a good idea for President of a fashion club?"

"Oh God, what were we thinking?" Stacy said nervously.

"She looooooks so tiiiiired," Tiffany said with her usual slow drawl.

"Well, everyone makes mistakes," Daria said, "The important thing is that we learn from them."

Sandi watched them leave with disdain.

"Well, it's been fun and all, but I've got a self-esteem class to head to," Jane said.

"You're in that too? Mind if I come with you?" Sandi asked.

Jane shrugged. "I guess so," she said as they both made their way to class.


	7. Death Comes To Another Lawndale - Part 9

_**AUTHORS NOTES: **This short fic was written as part of 'Death Comes To Another Lawndale', a thread started on the PPMB (Paper Pusher Message Board) by Precambrian Studios._

_The character Elaine Swinton was created by Ognawk, and first appeared in 'The Great And The Good'_

_**DISCLAIMER: **Daria and all associated characters are owned by MTV. This is for entertainment purposes only and no money or other goods were exchanged for this._

* * *

**DEATH COMES TO ANOTHER LAWNDALE**_  
**Part 9**  
_

**S**

Elaine Swinton grumbled as she adjusted the apron that was part of her Payday uniform. She never expected to come down to this level. After all, she was Elaine Swinton, daughter of Carlos Swinton Jr, media mogul and owner of Swinton Media Enterprises. She was due to take over the family business when her father retired, and working in some discount warehouse store was way below her station.

That was the main reason she was in this job in the first place. Her father felt that she had gotten too big for her boots, and that she felt she was better than everyone. So, he'd forced her into this job to teach her some humility, and to give her a glimpse of how less well off people lived.

Today was Black Friday, which Elaine had heard horror stories of. People getting trampled to death in the rush to grab a bargain and other such stories. As she made her way across the shop floor, she was approached by one of her colleagues, the goth girl Andrea, who apparently hated the place as much as she did.

"Hey, Elaine? There's been a change of plan. They want you in the Electronics section when we open," she said.

"Better than being in cosmetics, I guess," Elaine said with a resigned sigh as she made her way over there.

Electronics were nearer the door, and she was a little concerned about being crushed in the stampede as the doors opened. She needn't have worried about that, though. She should have been more worried about the slightly haphazard stack of 60 inch plasma TVs that had been stacked way too high. As the crowd entered, in the rush, the TVs toppled over and crushed Elaine underneath.

**Death Comes To Another Lawndale**


	8. Retro Is Dead

_**AUTHORS NOTES: **This story was inspired by LongSnakeMoan's fic 'Of All The People That Won't Be Missed' This story contains lyrics from the song 'Supermassive Black Hole' by Muse._

_**DISCLAIMER: **Daria, Beavis and Butt-Head and all related characters are owned by MTV. This is for entertainment purposes only and no money or other goods have been exchanged for this._

* * *

**RETRO IS DEAD**

It was a cool evening in Lawndale, and Nathan had decided to head out for a stroll. He was dressed in one his favourite outfits, a yellow zoot suit with matching hat. Walking past a store, he caught his reflection in the glass and did a quick hair check. Satisfied with the results, he continued walking past the parking lot behind. He looked and noticed a single, worn looking red car with a passenger sat in it. The passenger looked familiar to him. Deciding to check it out, he got closer and there was no mistaking it. That black triangular looking haircut, the three rings in her ear, the ruby red lips. He walked over to her.

"Jane Lane," he said as he got close to the door.

_Great, it's this jack***_, Jane thought as she turned and gave him a completely disinterested look. "Nathan."

"What's a dame like you doing sat in a run down pile of junk like this?" he asked.

Jane pulled a photo out of her pocket and smiled as she looked at it. "Just waiting for my man to pick up some beer."

Nathan took a look at the photo. It was of a man with long, blonde hair, sunglasses and stubble on his grizzled chin. He was smirking and holding a gun up.

"This your guy?"

"Yeah," Jane said, with a big grin, still not looking at Nathan, "He's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Nathan snorted, which got Jane's attention again as she turned to him, mouth turned down and eyebrow raised.

"You know, I used to think you were a classy dame, but you hang around in a battered car, drinking beer with a scumbag like that? You were never going to keep up with me, sweetheart."

Jane was scowling now. "You better be careful how you talk about my husband, Nathan."

"Why, what's he going to... husband?" Nathan said as Jane's words registered with him.

Jane grinned and held up her hand, showing off her ring. "Yeah, husband. Say hello to Jane Ianuzzi."

"A fast mover, huh?" Nathan said.

"Why wait when you're made for each other," Jane said, looking slightly past Nathan, "Speaking of which, my husband would like a word."

"Huh?"

Nathan turned around and saw the man in the photograph, beers in one hand and a pistol in the other. The man looked furious, and Nathan suddenly got worried.

"Nathan, meet my beautiful man, Todd," Jane said with a smirk, "Baby, this is Nathan."

Before Nathan could say anything, Todd pistol whipped him in the side of the head, knocking him unconscious, before putting the pistol away. Jane grinned as she hopped out of the car and ran towards Todd, who grabbed her with his free arm and swung her around, kissing her deeply. He then put her back down.

"Who the **** is this ***hole?" Todd asked, glaring at the unconscious Nathan.

"Oh, some retro poser jerk I used to date. Was kind of hoping I'd never see the bastard again," Jane explained.

"Oh, I'll make damn sure nobody sees him again," Todd said, pulling the pistol out again and taking aim at Nathan's head. He was stopped by Jane pulling his arm down.

"Wait a minute, baby," Jane said with a smile, "I got a better idea."

* * *

Nathan opened his eyes, and winced at the pain in his head. He tried to move his arms and realise he couldn't. As he looked around in a panic, he realised he was tied to a chair. Then, he realised where he was. It was the old abandoned drive in theatre he took Jane and her two downer friends to. And there by the screen, dancing away to the music that was blaring from the car, were Jane and Todd. Jane finally looked over and noticed Nathan.

"Hey baby, looks like our guest in back in the world of the living," Jane said with a smirk.

Todd turned to look and had a smirk of his own. "Not for long," he replied.

Jane walked over to Nathan as Todd changed the CD in the car. Jane got right up to Nathan and smiled as she took his hat off and threw it away.

"Hey, Nathan. Pretty swinging scene, wouldn't you say?" she said, as she ruffled his hair.

"Hey, don't touch my hair," he shouted.

Jane frowned. "Oh, poor Nathan. I don't think you're in a position to be telling me what to do."

Nathan gulped, but put on a defiant front. "So, what are you gonna do to me, huh?"

"Well, you insulted me and my man, so now we have to make you suffer."

With that, the music from the car finally kicked in as Jane smiled and started dancing seductively, singing along to as she did so while Todd watched approvingly.

_Oh baby don't you know I suffer?  
Oh baby can you hear me moan?_

Jane then slapped Nathan hard across the face and continued dancing, she then put her foot on the front of the chair he was sat on and slowly pushed it back until it toppled over and crashed on to its back.  
_  
You caught me under false pretences  
How long before you let me go?_

Jane stood over Nathan, an evil smirk on her face as she pulled a knife and got in close to his face, gently touching the point of the knife on it, close enough for him to feel it, but not close enough to break any skin. She then stood up again and held the knife up before bringing it down into his leg, causing him to scream.  
_  
Oooooh, you set my soul alight  
Oooooh, you set my soul alight_

Jane then danced to the other side of Nathan and brought the knife down in his other leg. She laughed as he writhed in agony, the red of his blood contrasting with the yellow of his pants. Jane then kicked him in the arm, then in the head before moving to the other side of him and doing the same again.

_Glaciers melting in the dead of night  
And the superstars sucked into the supermassive_

Jane grabbed his tie and pulled it tight, Nathan starting to struggle for air. She then cut his tie off with his knife as his head fell back, hitting the concrete. Jane stood over Nathan as Todd walked over and put his arm around Jane's waist, nibbling on her earlobe as she groaned slightly. The two of them pulled Nathan's chair back up and Todd kicked him in the gut. Then, Jane cut the ropes from around his arms and legs and she and Todd stepped away. His limbs now free, Nathan looked at them, confused as to what they were doing.

"What... why...?" he spluttered.

The pair of them looked at him and smirked. "Run, Forrest, Run, before we change our minds and finish you off," Jane said.

Nathan thought for a second, then got up off the chair and tried to run, but the pain in his legs was too much and he fell to the ground. He crawled away as fast as he could, away from Jane's maniacal laughter. After he got a short distance away, Jane ran up and alongside him, keeping pace with him as he crawled.

"Come on, Nathan, I thought you said I couldn't keep up with you."

Nathan was panicking, and Jane finally lost her patience and kicked him hard in the ribs, sending him sprawling. He landed on his back and breathed deeply, knowing the situation was hopeless. Then he saw Todd and Jane standing over him, smiling wickedly.

"Hey Nathan, remember when you told me retro would never die?" Jane asked.

Nathan didn't reply, he just continued breathing. Jane and Todd's faces became deadly serious all of a sudden.

"You were wrong," Jane said, as she and Todd pulled their pistols out and aimed them at his head.

"On three, baby," Jane said, looking at her husband briefly, before looking back at Nathan and smirking, "Three."

With that, they both shot Nathan in the head, ending his suffering once and for all. The couple looked at each other and Jane grinned widely.

"Damn, that felt good," she said, as she put her gun away.

Todd did the same. "I can think of somethin' else that'll make you feel good," he said with a smirk.

With that, he scooped Jane up in his arms and kissed her passionately as they headed back to the car, leaving Nathan's bloodied body on the ground.


	9. Different Tracks

_**DISCLAIMER:** Daria and all associated characters are owned by MTV. This is for entertainment purposes only and no money or other goods have been exchanged._

_Contains dialogue from 'See Jane Run' written by Rachelle Romberg._

* * *

**DIFFERENT TRACKS**

Daria and Jane were in the hallway at Lawndale High. Jane had made the track team recently, and there were perks that went with that, including Jane getting a bye on a Math test, which infuriated Daria.

"Hey, you watched TV with me instead of going to gym," Jane pointed out.

"So?" Daria responded.

"So, that was a perk of being on the team. The math test was another."

"You don't see any difference?" Daria asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, the math test was a hell of a lot better."

"Give me a break," Daria said, walking away.

As Daria left, Evan, one of Jane's team mates, walked up behind her.

"What's up with your friend?" Evan asked.

"Oh, I rubbed her self-righteousness the wrong way," Jane answered.

"I don't know why you hang out with her."

"What do you mean?" Jane asked, looking at him.

"Well, you're sort of a sports star now. It's not so cool to be hanging around with... you know, losers."

Jane thought about it for a moment. She had been a lot more popular with people lately, and much to her surprise, she didn't hate it. In fact, she kind of liked it.

"Yeah, you're right. I've been spending too much time with losers," she said.

"I'm glad you see it my way," Evan said as the two of them walked off together.

* * *

Daria was lying on her bed, deep in thought. She hadn't had a conversation with Jane in a few months. Not since they had a big argument over Jane's continued participation in track team, which ended in a big rant from Jane.

"You know what your problem is, Morgendorffer? You're being pissy because I'm not conforming to your ideal of misanthropy. I tried something new, I liked it, and I continue to like it. I don't want to stick around you if you're going to snipe and bitch at me for doing something different. I've realised that if you don't try something new, you might miss out on something you didn't know you liked. But you know, if you want to continue to mope and mock people for joining in, then go ahead. You're going to be very miserable."

Daria had only ever seen Jane with Evan, who she was now dating. Daria had tried to apologize, but Jane ignored her, so she just gave up. Her thoughts were interrupted by Jake shouting from downstairs.

"Hey, kiddo, there's someone on the phone for you," he shouted.

Daria was surprised. For me? She picked up the phone next to her bed.

"OK, I got it!" she shouted down, as she heard the click of the downstairs phone, "Hello?"

A familiar voice came from the other end. "Hey, Daria."

"Hey, Trent," she replied wearily.

"How you holding up?" Trent asked.

"Not so good. I tried talking to Jane, but she's ignoring me."

"She'll come around, Daria. Don't worry about it."

"I hope she does."

"Hey, the Spiral are performing a set this Friday at The Zon if you wanna come along."

Daria thought about it. "I don't know. Will Jane be there?"

"Nah, she's going out with that Evan guy."

Of course, Daria thought.

"Come on, Daria, I'll give you a lift. What do you say?" Trent asked.

"Alright. I guess I won't think about Jane so much if my ears are bleeding."

Trent laughed and started coughing. "Good one, Daria. See you Friday."

"Yeah. See you, Trent."

* * *

Daria was stood in the middle of The Zon, soda in hand while Mystik Spiral were playing on stage. I guess it's good to get out of the house once in a while, she thought. She didn't notice that, at the side of the Zon, a guy was watching her. She turned around and noticed him midway through Mr Normal. He had medium length black hair and was dressed in a black jumper, grey pants and black and white sneakers. The guy smiled as Daria looked back at him, unsure what to make of him.

Hey Mr. Normal, it was you!

"We're Mystik Spiral, and that was the end of the first set. We'll be back later for another set," Trent said as the band left the stage.

At that point, the guy who smiled at Daria walked over to her. Wonder what his deal is, she thought to herself, gotta admit, though, he is kinda cute.

"Hey," the guy said.

"Hi," Daria replied.

"You a fan of the band?" he asked.

"Actually, I'm more into techno country. What about you?"

"I'm more an industrial classic man. If you listen closely enough, you can actually hear the guitars screaming."

Daria chuckled at that comment.

"So seriously, why are you here?" he asked.

"My friend is in the band," she replied.

"Cool. My name's Tom, by the way," he said.

I'm Esmerelda, she thought. "I'm Daria," she said.

"Nice to meet you, Daria," Tom said with a smile, "You here with anyone?"

"No, I came with the band. I'm their stylist. And their style is 'Post Nuclear-Apocalypse'"

Tom laughed at that. Daria found herself smiling too.

"So, you wanna go get something to eat?" Tom asked.

"Do you have a car or something?" she replied.

"Well, if you can call a rusting, potentially explosive heap of junk on wheels a car, then I guess so."

I don't like the sound of that, she thought. Then she remembered Jane's words.

"If you don't try something new, you might miss out on something you didn't know you liked."

"Sure, I could go for some dead meat right about now," Daria replied, as she saw Trent approaching, "Just let me tell Trent."

"Hey, Daria," he said.

"Hey Trent. This is Tom. We're heading out for something to eat, but we're probably going to miss the second set."

"Don't worry about it, Daria. I wouldn't stay for the second set myself if I wasn't in the band."

The three of them chuckled.

"OK, see you later, Trent."

"Bye, Daria," Trent said as he watched Daria and Tom leave together and smiled.


End file.
